A1 · Principiante Capítulo 6

Tu vida en inglés: ¡Aprende a preguntar y decir que no!

4 Reglas totales
46 ejemplos
5 min
Reglas en este capítulo Práctica rápida

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the art of asking questions and saying no to navigate daily life with confidence.

  • Form negative sentences using don't and doesn't.
  • Construct questions with do and does.
  • Describe current actions using continuous questions and negatives.
Unlock the power of conversation.

Lo que aprenderás

¡Qué alegría verte de nuevo! ¿Te has dado cuenta de que gran parte de nuestras charlas diarias sirven para preguntar cosas o aclarar lo que no hacemos? En este capítulo, vamos a darte las herramientas para que domines el ritmo de una conversación real en inglés. Aprenderás a usar con total seguridad los auxiliares do y does. Estos son tus mejores amigos para hacer preguntas como Do you work? o para decir con confianza que no haces algo usando "don't y doesn't

. También verás un secreto muy importante: cómo el verbo
have
(tener) se une a estos auxiliares para que puedas decir frases como
I don't have a car o preguntar Do you have a pen?
cuando estés en una oficina o en clase. Pero eso no es todo. También aprenderás a preguntar sobre lo que está pasando justo en este instante con el Presente Continuo. Imagina que alguien te llama y quieres preguntar:
Are you studying? o aclarar I’m not working right now". Al terminar esta sección, te sentirás capaz de interactuar en muchísimas situaciones cotidianas: desde conocer a un nuevo amigo hasta pedir ayuda en una tienda. ¡Verás que estructurar estas frases es mucho más sencillo de lo que imaginas! ¿Empezamos?

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Use 'don't' and 'doesn't' to accurately express daily habits.
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to: Formulate questions using 'do' and 'does' to interview a peer.
  3. 3
    By the end you will be able to: Discuss current activities in the negative and interrogative forms.

Guía del capítulo

Overview

Mastering English talking about actions and habits is a cornerstone of A1 English grammar, and this chapter is your friendly guide! Imagine being able to share what you do every day, or what you *don't* do, without hesitation. That's exactly what we'll achieve here.
You'll learn simple yet powerful ways to say no to actions and habits, like "I don't like coffee,
and to ask straightforward questions such as
What do you do? or Is he working right now?" This ability to describe ongoing actions and regular routines will unlock countless simple conversations, helping you connect with others and talk about your daily life. Get ready to build essential communication skills that make your English sound natural and confident!

How This Grammar Works

At the heart of talking about actions and habits in English are a few key helper words that make questions and negatives easy. When you want to say you don't do something regularly, or someone else doesn't do something, you use do or does plus not (contracted to don't or doesn't), followed by the base form of the verb. For example, "I don't speak French, or She doesn't live here.
For questions about habits, do or does comes first:
Do you work? or Does he like pizza?"
When you use the verb have, which is super common, it follows the same pattern for questions and negatives. You always need do or does as the helper verb. So, it's
Do you have a car?
not
Have you a car?
and "I don't have a pet, not I haven't a pet."
Finally, for actions happening at this very moment – what you are doing right now – we use the Present Continuous. This involves a form of the verb be (am, is, are) and the -ing form of the main verb. To make it negative, you add not after be:
I am not working
or "He isn't reading.
To ask a question, you simply move the be verb to the front:
Are you listening? or Is she eating?" These structures work together to help you describe your world accurately, whether it's an everyday routine or something happening as we speak.

Common Mistakes

Learning new grammar can sometimes lead to small mix-ups, but that's part of the journey! Here are some common errors and how to fix them:
  1. 1✗ Wrong:
    He no like coffee.
    /
    You have a car?
✓ Correct: "He doesn't like coffee.« / »Do you have a car?"
*Explanation:* Always use don't or doesn't for negatives, and do or does for questions about habits and with the verb have.
  1. 1✗ Wrong:
    I am not work now.
    / Are you study?
✓ Correct:
I am not working now.
/
Are you studying?
*Explanation:* For actions happening right now (Present Continuous), you need both the be verb and the -ing form of the main verb.
  1. 1✗ Wrong: "She don't live here."
✓ Correct: "She doesn't live here."
*Explanation:* Remember the 's' for third-person singular (he, she, it) with does and doesn't.

Real Conversations

Let's see these grammar points in action!

A

A

Hi Sarah! Do you work on Saturdays?
B

B

No, I don't work on Saturdays. I relax! Do you have any plans today?
A

A

Hey, what are you doing?
B

B

I am watching a movie. Are you busy?
A

A

No, I am not working right now. I don't have any meetings.
A

A

Does he live near here?
B

B

No, he doesn't live near here. He lives far away.
A

A

Oh. Does he have a car?
B

B

Yes, he does. He drives to work every day.

Quick FAQ

Q

When do I use don't versus doesn't?

You use don't for I, you, we, they (e.g., "I don't like that"). You use doesn't for he, she, it (e.g., "He doesn't like that"). It depends on who is doing the action.

Q

Can I use do for questions about actions happening 'right now'?

No, for actions happening 'right now', you use a form of be and the -ing verb. For example,

Are you reading?
not
Do you read?
(unless you mean 'Do you read generally?').

Q

Why do we say

Do you have
instead of
Have you
for questions about possession?

In modern English, especially American English, do/does is almost always used as the helper verb for questions and negatives with have when it means possession. While

Have you a car?
might be understood,
Do you have a car?
is much more common and natural.

Q

What's the main difference between "I don't work and I am not working"?

"I don't work

talks about a habit or general fact (e.g.,
I don't have a job«). »I am not working
talks about an action that is not happening at this specific moment (e.g.,
I am not working *right now*").

Cultural Context

Native English speakers use these patterns constantly in daily conversation. You'll often hear contractions like don't and doesn't because they make speech flow more smoothly. While some older or more formal varieties of British English might still use Have you...? for possession, using do/does with have for questions and negatives is overwhelmingly common and natural in contemporary English everywhere.
Don't be afraid to use these helper verbs – they sound very natural!

Ejemplos clave (8)

1

I don't eat meat.

No como carne.

Decir 'No' en inglés: Don't & Doesn't
2

You don't need to hurry.

No necesitas apresurarte.

Decir 'No' en inglés: Don't & Doesn't
3

Do you live in a big city?

Tú vives en una ciudad grande?

Hacer Preguntas: Do y Does (Preguntas en Presente Simple)
4

Does she like to cook dinner?

A ella le gusta cocinar la cena?

Hacer Preguntas: Do y Does (Preguntas en Presente Simple)
5

I don't have a car for the trip.

No tengo un coche para el viaje.

Verbo 'have': Preguntas y negaciones (do/does)
6

Do you have a pen I can borrow?

¿Tienes un bolígrafo que pueda pedir prestado?

Verbo 'have': Preguntas y negaciones (do/does)
7

I'm not listening to music right now.

No estoy escuchando música ahora mismo.

Presente Continuo: Negaciones y Preguntas (¿Estoy trabajando?)
8

Are you working on your project this evening?

¿Estás trabajando en tu proyecto esta noche?

Presente Continuo: Negaciones y Preguntas (¿Estoy trabajando?)

Consejos y trucos (4)

💡

Piensa en la 'S' de Singular

Recuerda la 'S' de 'doesn't' y conéctala con los sujetos singulares: 'he' (él), 'she' (ella), 'it' (eso). Si tu sujeto no tiene sonido de 'S' (como 'I', 'you', 'we', 'they'), ¡usa 'don't'! Por ejemplo: "He doesn't like pizza."
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Decir 'No' en inglés: Don't & Doesn't
💡

Regla del Verbo Base

El verbo principal siempre, siempre, *siempre* va en su forma base después de 'do' o 'does'. Piensa que 'do/does' es el capitán y el verbo principal solo tiene que presentarse.
Do you play sports?
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Hacer Preguntas: Do y Does (Preguntas en Presente Simple)
💡

Practica las respuestas cortas

Estás en una conversación rápida. Te preguntan 'Do you have time?' y quieres responder de forma natural: Yes, I do. o "No, I don't."
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Verbo 'have': Preguntas y negaciones (do/does)
💡

¡Busca el verbo 'to be'!

Siempre fíjate en 'am', 'is' o 'are'. Para negar, 'not' va justo después. Para preguntar, 'am/is/are' salta al principio de la frase: Are you working?
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Presente Continuo: Negaciones y Preguntas (¿Estoy trabajando?)

Vocabulario clave (6)

work to perform tasks have to possess study to learn drink to consume liquid now at this moment breakfast morning meal

Real-World Preview

coffee

At the Office

Review Summary

  • Subject + don't/doesn't + verb
  • Do/Does + subject + verb?
  • Do/Does + subject + have?
  • Am/Is/Are + subject + verb-ing?

Errores comunes

When using 'does', the main verb loses the 's'. The auxiliary takes all the work.

Wrong: Does he works here?
Correcto: Does he work here?

To ask a question, start with 'Do'. Don't just add a question mark to a statement.

Wrong: I don't have a car? (as a question)
Correcto: Do you have a car?

Present continuous requires the -ing ending. Without it, the sentence is grammatically incomplete.

Wrong: Are you work?
Correcto: Are you working?

Next Steps

You are building a fantastic foundation. Keep practicing, and don't stop asking questions!

Watch a short English interview and note the questions used.

Continue to: Asking Questions and Saying No

Práctica rápida (10)

Encuentra y corrige el error en la oración.

Find and fix the mistake:

Does he works on weekends?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Does he work on weekends?
Después de 'does', el verbo principal debe estar en su forma base ('work'), no 'works'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Hacer Preguntas: Do y Does (Preguntas en Presente Simple)

¿Qué oración formula correctamente una pregunta sobre un hábito?

Choose the correct sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Does she study English?
'She' requiere 'does', y el verbo principal 'study' debe estar en su forma base.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Hacer Preguntas: Do y Does (Preguntas en Presente Simple)

Elige el verbo auxiliar correcto para la pregunta.

___ your friends live nearby?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Do
'Your friends' es un sujeto plural (ellos), así que usamos 'Do'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Hacer Preguntas: Do y Does (Preguntas en Presente Simple)

Elige la forma correcta para completar la oración.

My phone ___ a good camera.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: doesn't have
El sujeto 'My phone' es 'it', por lo que usamos 'doesn't'. Después de 'doesn't', la forma base 'have' siempre se usa.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Verbo 'have': Preguntas y negaciones (do/does)

Encuentra y corrige el error en la frase.

Find and fix the mistake:

She don't speaks Spanish.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: She doesn't speak Spanish.
Para 'she', usamos 'doesn't'. Además, después de 'doesn't', el verbo principal ('speak') debe ir en su forma base, sin '-s'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Decir 'No' en inglés: Don't & Doesn't

Encuentra y corrige el error en la oración.

Find and fix the mistake:

He doesn't has a bicycle.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: He doesn't have a bicycle.
Cuando se usa 'does', el verbo principal 'have' debe estar en su forma base. Así que, 'has' cambia a 'have'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Verbo 'have': Preguntas y negaciones (do/does)

Elige la forma correcta para completar la frase negativa.

My phone ___ charging right now.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: isn't
Para sujetos singulares como 'My phone', usamos 'is not', que se contrae a 'isn't'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Presente Continuo: Negaciones y Preguntas (¿Estoy trabajando?)

¿Qué oración pregunta correctamente sobre posesión?

Choose the correct sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Does she have a sister?
Para 'she', usamos 'does'. Después de 'does', el verbo 'have' siempre está en su forma base, no 'has'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Verbo 'have': Preguntas y negaciones (do/does)

¿Qué frase usa correctamente 'don't' o 'doesn't'?

Elige la frase correcta:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: They don't watch TV.
Para el sujeto 'they' (plural), usamos 'don't'. El verbo 'watch' está correctamente en su forma base.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Decir 'No' en inglés: Don't & Doesn't

¿Qué frase pregunta correctamente sobre una acción en curso?

Choose the correct sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Are you studying for your exam?
Para formar una pregunta en Presente Continuo, 'are' va antes del sujeto 'you', seguido del verbo con '-ing'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Presente Continuo: Negaciones y Preguntas (¿Estoy trabajando?)

Score: /10

Preguntas frecuentes (6)

Se usan para hacer que los verbos sean negativos en el presente simple, indicando que una acción o hábito 'no' sucede. Piensa en ellos como el 'no' para las acciones regulares. Por ejemplo: "I don't eat meat."
Usas 'don't' con los sujetos 'I' (yo), 'you' (tú/ustedes), 'we' (nosotros), 'they' (ellos/ellas), y cualquier sustantivo plural (ej. 'students', 'my parents'). Por ejemplo: "We don't understand."
'Do' y 'does' actúan como verbos auxiliares (ayudantes) para formar preguntas de 'sí/no' en presente simple. Indican que se pregunta sobre hábitos, rutinas o hechos generales.
Do you like coffee?
Usas 'do' para los sujetos 'I', 'you', 'we' y 'they' (y sustantivos plurales). Usas 'does' para los sujetos 'he', 'she' y 'it' (y sustantivos singulares). Es una cuestión de concordancia sujeto-verbo.
Does she live here?
Cuando 'have' es el verbo principal para posesión, funciona como la mayoría de los otros verbos en inglés. Necesita los verbos auxiliares 'do' o 'does' para formar preguntas y negaciones, a diferencia del verbo 'be' que lo hace solo.
¡No hay diferencia en el significado! 'Do not have' es la forma completa, mientras que 'don't have' es la forma contraída. 'Don't have' es mucho más común en el inglés hablado diario y en la escritura informal, haciendo las conversaciones más naturales. Por ejemplo: "I don't have time
es más común que
I do not have time".
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